Careers and Life Skills
Careers Leader: Ms C Jordan - jordanc@saintgeorgescofe.kent.sch.uk - 01474 533 082
Careers Programme Summary
Now more than ever, our young people need to be fully prepared for the highly competitive world of employment that awaits them after their studies. By adopting and implementing our careers strategy we hope not only to fully prepare students for the next step but to also raise the aspirations of each young person, so they can achieve even more than they expect of themselves.
Our Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme at Saint George’s C of E School seeks to deliver on the 2018 Department for Education Careers Strategy.
Date of next review of the information published: April 2024.
Intent
At Saint George’s we want all of our students to understand the full range of opportunities available to them, to learn from employers about work and the skills that are valued in the workplace and to have first-hand experience of the workplace.
All of our students get an excellent programme of advice and guidance that is delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience. All of our students get support tailored to their circumstances. All students should be able to access free face-to-face advice, with more bespoke support for those who most need it. All of our students get the information they need to understand the job and career opportunities available and how their knowledge and skills can help them in considering suitable careers.
Implementation
At Saint George's we ensure that our students receive a thorough programme of events from Years 7 to 13 that looks to engage them with careers, inspire them and raise their aspirations.
Across our careers fairs and futures days, students interact directly with over 50 different local employers and educators, including Kent County Council, The Careers and Enterprise Company, The Kent Enterprise Adviser Network, The Education Business Partnership, as well as local training providers and employers. We also work closely with a local NHS medical centre to support our students who are interested in health and medical-based careers.
Through constant evaluation from students, parents, and teachers, we will look to ensure the programme is bespoke to each individual student's needs to maximise the effectiveness of our career provisions and help our students get the most out of their time here at Saint George’s C of E School.
Impact
We will assess and measure the impact of our careers programme through questionnaires to students, staff and parents. This information will be used to continue to improve the programme to meet students’ needs.
We record Post KS4 and Post KS5 destinations, to reflect on the effectiveness of Saint George's Careers programme, this has shown several students gaining entry to the following programmes:
- University of Reading Scholars Programme
- Social Mobility Foundation Programme
- Sutton Trust Summer School Programme
- Kent University Succeed Programme
- Access Ashurst Law Programme
- KMT Teacher Training Internship Programme
- Cambridge Summer School Programme
- Cambridge Law Residential Programme
- Newcastle Summer School & Partners Programme
Post-16 Information
Choices made after Year 11 can have a big impact on the future. These options can range from Sixth Form and College to Apprenticeships or Work With Training.
The Careers Team is always looking to find and provide opportunities for students and parents to enhance their careers and education, helping them to flourish in the future.
When it comes to the question of what to do following GCSEs, there are a lot of options to consider. Therefore, the Department for Education has put together a couple of simple and handy guides to inform young people and their parents about the options available to them.
- A route comparison grid – which shows all the routes available after GCSEs, along with additional information on each one, such as the level of study, entry requirements, duration of the course, and where it can lead.
- A 2-minute animation – showcasing and explaining each choice in a simple, dynamic and visual manner.
A comprehensive range of information about the education choices available to your child at the end of Year 11 is available in ‘Your Choices at 16‘ or you can look at specific sections about:
T Levels Information
T Levels or Technical Level Qualifications, are relatively new government-backed qualifications introduced as of September 2020, equivalent to 3 A Levels. Parents may not be familiar with T Levels as a post-GCSE option, but they could make a fantastic option for some students. These 2-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of the industry and prepares students for working life.
T Levels involve a mix of classroom learning (about 80% of the course time) and practical experience (about 20% of the course time) including a 45-day on-the-job placement in a genuine business. Afterwards, students may go on to university, alternative higher education, another job, or an apprenticeship, or they may be offered an opportunity with the company where they were placed.
More information can be found here.
Post-18 Information
There are lots of Post-18 options available for children after they leave their formal education. At Saint George’s we encourage students to write their Personal Statements at the end of June in year 12. This allows them to consider their strengths, weaknesses and interests in whatever route they chose. Our teachers offer a range of support in their Careers and Development Google Classroom.
Choosing a University
Find a University or select a degree course to help you make choices for the future by clicking here.
For help with writing your personal statement click here.
Student Finance
Many parents and students are concerned about the debt their child may incur from attending university. Frightening headlines in the press haven’t helped parents who are quite rightly confused by student loans.
If your child is considering university, please read some of these helpful articles “Beware paying Uni Fees upfront” “Student loans decoded” “Student Finance for parents” “What you repay – Student loans”. If you are still concerned, please contact Ms Jordan.
Key Dates
Year 12: Personal Statements
The deadline for drafting personal statements for year 12 students is the end of June. Whether students are going to university or not, having a personal statement allows them to consider their strengths, weaknesses and interests in any route they chose. Activities to support students are in their Careers and Development Google Classroom.
Year 13: UCAS Important dates
Please find the UCAS important dates for application through the process starting in term 5 of year 12.
University Jargon Buster
Universities love acronyms and jargon, which can be challenging for students, as well as school colleagues and parents and guardians supporting them. To help, UniTasterDays have put together some explanations of the main terms which are used in relation to university on this page.
Post 18 Destination Data 2019 - 2023
| 2022/2023 Leavers (100 Leavers) | 2021/2022 Leavers (98 Leavers) | 2020/2021 Leavers (84 Leavers) | 2019/2020 Leavers (87 Leavers) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Total (Higher education) (all) | 59% | 63 (64%) | 60 (71%) | 49% |
| % of above at RG Uni | 5% | 10 (10%) | 10 (17%) | |
| Apprenticeships (all apprenticeships) | 13% | 12 (12%) | 2 (2%) | 3% |
| Degree Apprenticeships | 5% | 4(4%) | 0% | |
| Employment | 14% | 14 (14%) | 17 (20%) | 24% |
| College (Further education) | 0% | 1 (1%) | 7% | |
| Other education/Traineeships | 1% | 1 (1%) | 0% | |
| Gap Year | 5% | 3 (3%) | 2 (2%) | |
| Unknown | 0% | 1 (1%) | 1% | |
| Unplaced | 8% | 4 (4%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Destination not sustained | 15% |
Post-18 Further Documentation
Apprenticeship Information
There are many good resources for finding apprenticeships. Within school, we use Notgoingtouni.com, Findanapprenticeship, RateMyApprenticehship and Springpod. At Saint George's, we encourage you to review these with your child as it can become overwhelming with the choice available. Looking at the apprenticeships allows will help your child to get focused for their exams as there will be a required entry level.
A Parent's Guide to...
Post-16 and Post-18 options can be daunting, and your child is likely to feel pressure and anxiety when making their decisions.
These online guides and articles are designed to inform, involve, and guide parental support. They include the latest information on post-school options, apprenticeships, universities, examinations, revision techniques and teenage wellbeing.
Weekly Updates
The Careers Team receive a wealth of information daily regarding career opportunities that we would like to share with our community. Please click the button below to see current opportunities ranging from apprenticeships, upcoming insight events/webinars, information on work experience, on-demand webinars/podcasts, summer school/university programmes and much more. This will be updated weekly with new items listed at the top of each page, highlighted in yellow.
Careers Newsletters
Useful Resources
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Unifrog - This gives students a range of activities to participate in, including personality test choices, investigating careers, CV writing, UCAS applications and more. These are available in each year group's Google Classroom. We encourage parents to complete these activities with students, as this will help them to make choices in years 10 and 12, for the next steps in their future.
-
UK's Riskest Jobs - Go Compare provide information about the most dangerous/the riskiest jobs in the UK.
- The School Leaver 200 - This website ranks the top 100 employers in the UK as voted by school leavers. It offers advice and information on the vast range of employer programmes available including higher apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and advice for those going to university full-time.
- Labour Market Information - This tool can be used to explore, and compare, key information about occupations, help you to learn about different occupations and identify potential careers. It provides access to a selection of UK headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects for different occupations.
For more useful resources, please visit our resources page.
Careers Resources for Subject Staff
All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers (Gatsby 4). For example, STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths.
Why does this matter?
- Subject teachers are highly influential – they are the second biggest influences after parents.
- Students feel more engaged in their learning when they perceive the relevance of what they are studying to their own lives.
- Strong essential skills such as speaking, listening and staying positive can positively influence young people’s employment prospects.
- Teachers highlighting the relevance of their subject to future careers and opportunities creates social capital for young people.
- Students become more aspirational, understanding that perceived barriers can be overcome and that there are various pathways to success.
The Careers Team have put together some additional resources for our Subject Staff. These resources range from links to videos, posters, lesson plans and much more. To access these resources, please click HERE.
Careers Documentation
Contact Information
Careers Leader: Ms C Jordan jordanc@saintgeorgescofe.kent.sch.uk
01474 533 082
Link Governor: Charles Byrom byromc@saintgeorgescofe.kent.sch.uk